Welding-flux.



' UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WELDING-FLUX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,526, dated May 10,1904.

Application filed May 23, 1903. Serial No. 158,511. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. Hour, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cortland, in the county of Cortland and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in W elding-Fluxes, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a welding-flux adapted for use in joining orwelding pieces of metal and separate parts of implements.

Welding-fluxes have heretofore been devised and used; but they have beengenerall unsatisfactory in view of the fact of objectionable sparkingduring the welding operation and the inability to practically retain theflux on the joint to be welded during firing or heating.

The flux forming the gist of this invention is of such nature that itwill firmly cling to hot iron or steel during the heating operationpreliminarily pursued previous to welding and will firmly adhere to themetal while in the fire and resist displacement by the blast of a forgeor furnace, and, furthermore, it has been found that one greatdifliculty experienced by operators in using fluxes on metal heated inforges is obviatednamely, that sparks from the steel or iron do not flyunder thedhammer as when other compounds are use The compound or fluxconsists of calcined borax, iron or steel filings, drillings, orcuttings, furnace dross, (slag or cinder,) and calcined 0r burnedmarbledust. The abovenamed substances may be varied in proportions inaccordance with the character of the metal or metals to be welded andthe prevailing contingencies or conditions present during the weldingoperation; but for all practical purposes it has been found generallythat the proportions most effective are as follows: calcined borax,fifteen per cent; iron or steel filings, drillings, or cuttings, thirtyper cent; furnace dross, forty per cent., and calcined marble-dust,fifteen per cent.

Calcined borax is an essential ingredient in effecting the compound, andin its practical effect is materially distinguished from ordinary boraxin view of the absence of moisture therein and the necessity in the fluxcompound for welding purposes that there be no moisture present. Thecalcined marble-dust is burned until it gets red-hot and allowed to cooloff before it is mixed with the other ingredients. It has been found thebest marble-dust for this purpose is obtainable by breaking up oldtombstones which have been exposed for a considerable length of time tothe action of the elements. The calcined marble-dust holds the fullingredients intact when the flux is placed on the red-hot iron or steeland also prevents the remainingingredients from falling under the hammerin view of the fact that such dust will not fall and absorbs whatmoisture there may be in the other ingredients, thus preventing sparksfrom flying. The dross furnace cinder or slag used in the compound andconsidered to be one of the principal ingredients is the melted refuseor waste of refining from Bessemer or open-hearth furnace and assists orcooperates with the other ingredients in making a superior weld.

All the above-named ingredients are reduced to a powder by a grindingprocess and then thoroughly mixed and fused over a hot plate and againground to the required fineness.

In the use of the flux the pieces of iron, steel, or other metal to bewelded are heated red-hot or to a color usually adopted in Weldingoperations and plunged into the flux, the latter adhering to the metallike Wax. In some instances the flux may be sprinkled or dusted over theheated metal to be welded, and in either form of application the flux onthe metal when the latter is returned to the fire and subjected to ablast will remain intact with the metal.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- Theherein-described welding flux or compound consisting of calcined bora'x,iron or steel filings, drillings or cuttings, furnace dross, slag orcinder, and calcined marbledust, in or about the proportions set forth.

In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM W. HOUT.

Witnesses:

O. A. KnLLoee, D. W. VAN HoEsEN.

